Is Bruno Fernandes’ form a symptom or a cause of Man Utd’s struggles?

Bruno Fernandes has scored 111 goals in 335 appearances for Manchester United, but his form has dropped sharply since he was named PFA Player of the Year just seven weeks ago.

Fernandes stood in the Manchester Opera House and spoke of his pride at receiving that award for 2025-26. The Manchester United captain had already won the Premier League and Football Writers’ versions of the honour, in recognition of his phenomenal contribution to his side’s unexpected third-place finish.

Last season, he scored nine goals and claimed 21 assists, breaking a Premier League record jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne. Over the final 11 games, of the 21 goals United scored, Fernandes either scored himself or created 12 of them. In the seven-game run that swept United back into Europe’s elite club competition after a two-year absence, the 31-year-old was a central figure in nine of the 12 goals.

Statistically, it was remarkable. It recalled Eric Cantona in the 1995-96 title-winning campaign, when he scored in six successive games, five of them when United scored only once.

“It was a special season for me,” Fernandes told an appreciative audience. “I am very proud.

“But we don’t play tennis. We don’t play just for ourselves. We play for a team, we play for a club, we play for the fans. There is nothing more special than that.”

Those words carry particular weight now, because this season’s numbers are far less impressive.

A Difficult Start to the Season

Fernandes has played every minute of Manchester United’s six Premier League games. He has three goals and one assist, all of which came against Ipswich in the second game of the campaign, which remains United’s only league win so far.

Those figures are better than last season, when he scored twice in the opening six games and created none. However, he was playing in the deeper midfield role that Ruben Amorim preferred at that point.

This season, Fernandes is averaging 3.3 shots per game, his second-highest figure, although his best was 3.5 in 2020-21. His average of 0.8 shots on target is his joint-second lowest. His chance creation, at 2.5 per game, is the second lowest of his time at Old Trafford and well down on the 4.0 he produced last season.

Even more startlingly, he has created just one “big chance” so far. That was the lofted pass that sent Bryan Mbeumo running clear of the Ipswich defence on 30 August. Last season, Fernandes averaged one big chance per game.

These numbers help explain why United have collected just six points from their opening six games. It is their worst league start in 40 years, when Ron Atkinson was sacked to make way for Sir Alex Ferguson.

The question is whether Fernandes is a reason for United’s malaise or a symptom of it.

Fitness Concerns

There is uncertainty over the Portugal playmaker’s fitness. Fernandes rarely misses a game, but he was left out of the recent Nations League match against Norway. National team boss Jorge Jesus said the former Sporting man was “playing through pain”.

Fernandes was fit enough to return for the final two internationals of the extended break. Before that, he played the full 90 minutes in the 4-0 Champions League win against Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK.

United manager Michael Carrick does not see it as an issue as he prepares his side to face Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

“He was carrying something but that happens a lot,” Carrick said. “Players play with issues.

“It’s not ideal but it is manageable. Bruno is able to play. That is the commitment he has got.

“He is pretty much over it, was really bright in training this morning and is looking forward to the game.”

Missing Support Around Him

At the peak of Fernandes’ productivity at the end of last season, Benjamin Sesko was a regular in the number nine role, while veteran Brazilian Casemiro anchored United’s midfield.

Of the nine league goals Sesko has scored in 2026, Fernandes created four. He also set up four of the final five goals Casemiro scored for United from 1 February onwards.

Beyond goals, the absence of Sesko and Casemiro is clearly being felt. Even Casemiro’s biggest admirers could not claim that United’s current low running numbers are down to the 34-year-old leaving for Inter Miami in the summer. His positioning and game knowledge remain of a high standard, and Fernandes could take risks in the knowledge that United would not be overrun on transition if he lost the ball.

As for Sesko, his fresh shin injury extends a lack of involvement that is being keenly felt, and there is, as yet, no end date for it.

The club’s power brokers ignored calls to bring in more striking support during the summer and instead reinforced Carrick’s midfield. A plan to cover Sesko’s initial absence by using Mbeumo as a number nine had to be scrapped when Amad Diallo suffered an ankle injury just before the opening game at Hull. Matheus Cunha was given the job instead, but he repeatedly dropped deep, into the space Fernandes was occupying, and the pair never found an effective way of dealing with it.

For Fernandes, it feels restrictive. He is not a player who lacks confidence, but his decision-making appears to be affected. Against Tottenham at the weekend, it took him an incredible 23 minutes just to complete a pass.

Carrick Backs His Captain

On Monday, ahead of the Champions League meeting with Atletico, Carrick said no one was “guaranteed” a place in his team. He surrounded that remark with enough caveats to suggest that leaving out his captain is not in his thinking.

United must start to improve, and that means Fernandes must do the same.

“He’s a top player, Bruno,” Carrick said.

“Sometimes things don’t quite go for you. Sometimes you have a spell of that.

“But he’s done some incredible things for this football club and he will do the same in the future, there’s no doubt about that.”